The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-01-02
FEATEHERD LINGUISTS.
Senator Leland Sanford's Wonderful Bird
and It's Linguistic Accomplishments.

Next 10 the little silver tongued canalies,
the gaudy plumed parrot is the most pop
ular of the feathered pets. An individual
dealer may perhaps sell fifty canaries or
mockiDg birds to one parrot, but the sing
ers have delicate constitutions, end as
rule DO not live long. The bird fanciers
know better than any one else what
trouble purchasers have with their pets.
tits a common experience for a customer
10 come back three OF four times year
for new bird. The one bought last
never seemed bright" they say, and II
died 10 less than two months after taken
home +" Occasionally parrot gets SICK
and dies, but generally speaking. parrot
flesh is not heir TO many Ills, ana the talK-
ers frequently live TO venerable age, says
the Savannah News. MIR. JACOB Gardner
said Of parrots thai the best takers come
from Africa. The gray African learns
m,;cklv. and its tone approaches nearer
the human voice than any other species Of
the parrot family, The gray African lives
to be thirty and forty years old, and in
stances are not rare of their living more
than 100 years. Very few of these birds
are brought here. The Savannah parrot
market is supplied by northern dealers and
sailors from the West Indies, Mexico and
South American ports. Mexico and Gu
ban birds are often brought here by sailors,
and If a tar comes to the door and oilers
mar of Venezuelan birds, it is i've to one
that they are Mexicans or Cubans. The
Venezuelans talk as well as the Africans
and their plumage is more brilliant.
Birds from the Brazilian forests are the
most gorgeous plumaged.
Married people who have no children
are good customers of bird fanciers, and II
they only buy one bird they generally take
a.parrot. Other birds may sing like Cayr-
so. they cannot talk. An Intelligent
talkeri is really companion III many mouse
holds and fills the place OF prattllng young
sters. AS the parrot simply initiates
sounds, considerable practice is neeessa airy
before Polly can talk: The names whicn
the birds hear The oftenest are the ones
which it first learns Six months at least
are REQUIRED before parrot, unless 1t is
remarkably bright, acquires anything OF
vocabulary Pretty Poll" and POLY
wants a cracker are the first words
learned as a rule. Names of members OF
the family are soon learned. The intelll-
eence of some birds is wonderful. A
family in Savannah recently had two
Mexicans. an old one aud ayoung one.
Both would watch every opportunity 10
get out OF their cages. When the old one
woald escape it would quietly slip about
the house stealing whatever it could hind,
bu- always slyly trying to avoid being seen.
In case the young one happened TO get OUT
ana the old one could not, the latter would
scream Poly's out" until some one came.
Apparently the old one took mis-
chievous delight in giving the young one
away.
Another family has bird which sings
Peek a-Boo, to the amusement OF every
one who hears it. There is popular I'M
preston that parrot will learn to swear
quicker than it will learn to use words that
are not profane A gentleman OF this city
who has at least three birds says that I'M
preston is not founded on fact. 10
satisfy himself be tried to teach his birds
a few choice oaths. But after consider
able trouble he gave it up as too difficult
task.
Whether the birds had conscientious
scruples as to profanity he would not say,
but they would not learn to swear
A bird that sailor has owned is not apt
to be conscientious on the subject, but tue
swearing birds are not near so common as
is supposed.
Parrots often speak two languages. as
German and Enelish, or French and
English. The Sprises run from So up to
$50. and even higher.
). Barnaby Ridges raven Grip" and
Poe's raven, Nevermore,' must yieldthe
honors of talking to parrot owned by the
United States Senator, Leland STAFFORD,
of California He paid several hundred
dollars for it, and it is said to wonder
fully educated bird 1t speaks four lam
guages-English, French, German and
Italian. The strange part OF it is that as
soon as he hears any one speak, he knows
in what language to address the person.
For long while no one knew that the
parrot spoke Italian, until Que day an
italian artist came to the house to do some
work. and the parrot heard him talk.
At once the bird started to jabber Italian,
and had quite conversation with the
man. 1t always talks German to the Ger
man servant, and French to the maid.
The parrot; when any one comes down
in The morning. SAYS" Good morning, |
hone YOU rested WE'LL" Heis very par
tlcrlar, and one day when stranger went
!. up to him and said, Pretty Polly; Polly
want a cracker p he quite astonished the
person by saying, On, stop that foolish
ness Can't you talk sense am tired
of that rot p The parrot has not learned
to say " chestnuts" yet, but very often
when asked if he wants cracker, says,
THAT'S old; give me something new.
SociabIe at Domfny Dunn's.
The residence of the Rev. L. r. Dunn,
Il.